On Friday, April 24th, 2009 this is the HNC Birding Report: LITTLE GULL
Tundra Swan Northern Pintail American Wigeon Green-winged Teal Wild Turkey Red-throated Loon Common Loon Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe American Bittern Broad-winged Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Virginia Rail Sandhill Crane Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Common Tern Forster's Tern Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Phoebe Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Wallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Brown Thrasher Fox Sparrow Lapland Longspur Rusty Blackbird Purple Finch Migration continued at a slow pace this week as winds did not favour movement of birds. This weekend should see an increase in migratory activity. Many of the lakeshore properties this week highlighted early migrants. Places such as Shell Park in Oakville, Shoreacres Park in Burlington and Fifty Point Conservation Area in Grimsby reported migrants including Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrush and Fox Sparrows in good numbers. At Fifty Point Rusty Blackbird and Purple Finch were also seen. One significant migration that has occurred in the past couple of days is along the lake. Yesterday hundreds of Bonaparte's Gulls were seen in an area off Coronation Park in Oakville and among them 2 adult LITTLE GULL. Around the bend at Fifty Road fewer numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls were seen but other species seen over the past two days included Red-throated and Common Loon, Red-necked and Horned Grebe, one adult LITTLE GULL among Bonaparte's Gulls, Common and Forsters Tern and a lingering Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull. Common Terns were seen at Hutches on Monday and one was seen yesterday checking out the nesting colony at Windermere Basin. Up at the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch this week, things remained slow. Broad-winged Hawks should arrive in numbers over the next two days. In Saltfleet, a search of flooded fields yielded Wilson's Snipe on 5th Road East, Greater Yellowlegs on 8th Road East and Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, an immature Iceland Gull and several Greater Yellowlegs in the flooded fields seen from Ridge Road between 8th and 10th Road East. This week should see the return of the Upland Sandpipers on 10th Road East near the railway tracks. Up on 6th Road east south of Green Mountain there have been reports of the large flock of Lapland Longspurs earlier in the week. Down at the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons, Virginia Rail and Spotted Sandpiper were seen yesterday and a Dunlin was present last Saturday. In Flamborough, the place to look seems to be the Rockton Berry Farm located on Hwy 8 south of Concession 4 West. The flooded field here was a stopping ground for Green-winged Teal, Caspian Tern, Iceland Gull, Wilson's Snipe, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpiper. Additions to yard birds this week in an area near Middletown Road and 5th Concession West were Wild Turkey, Virginia Rail, Brown Thrasher and Purple Finch. At Fairchild Creek on 5th Concession West near Settlers Road, a few Tundra Swans still haven't made the move north. Grass Lake in Glen Morris appears to be a potential nesting ground for Sandhill Cranes again. Four individuals were seen last Sunday. An American Bittern also flew over the marsh. In north Oakville/Mississauga, along the Brittania Road between the 4th and 5th lines,there is a large flooded field north side of the road that had Wilson's Snipe, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Northern Pintail. In the odds and sods, it appears that swallows are returning in numbers around the area. No sign of the Bank Swallows at Burloak Park yet but good numbers of Tree, Barn and Rough-winged Swallows have now arrived. A single Cliff Swallow was seen in a group of Barn Swallows from Canada Centre for Inland Waters. A Virginia Rail was present at the Dundas Hydro Ponds. Pine Warblers have returned to LaSalle Park and another heard in Dundas last evening. At Caistor Center a search of a farmland woodlot produced many Wilson's Snipe winnowing, American Woodcock and a Rough-legged Hawk perhaps making its way north. A Pileated Woodpecker made a guest appearance at a property near Rock Chapel. Look for a big change in the picture this week. Please report your sightings as we finally get a string of decent days with warm temperatures and winds in the right direction. Good Birding! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
